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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: swing · temple · craft · leaves · pound · mark · patient · bore

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. swing — to play on
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. craft — boats
  7. swing — in golf
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mark — a grade
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pound — a weight
  13. bore — to drill
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. swing — music
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. mark — a trace
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. craft — a skill
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bore — to tire

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com